More even redistribution of migrants needed in Italy - Sala

(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 30 - Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala on Wednesday called for a more even redistribution of migrants and refugees across all municipalities in Italy in response to the current reception crisis particularly as regards children arriving in the country on their own.
    "What I think is wrong is that the logic behind redistribution is not clear and uniform," said Sala on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Fei Jumping European Championship Milano 2023.
    "Just as Italy is asking for migrants to be redistributed throughout Europe, as mayor of Milan, I am asking for them to be redistributed across all cities and municipalities," he continued.
    "Otherwise it is clear that the price paid (by Milan) is too high," said Sala.
    The problem is particularly acute for unaccompanied minors, who by law should be accommodated in dedicated facilities offering specialist services.
    "The number of arrivals has increased significantly, in demonstration of the fact that electoral declarations are irrelevant," continued Sala.
    The mayor said almost 1,300 unaccompanied minors have been counted in Milan.
    "But we know that there are another 200, 300, 400 that have not been counted because they go undetected," he added, saying there are "objectively too many". "We have no reception facilities, and it is not just a problem of providing accommodation, because either we manage to integrate these youngsters, who are 16 years old, or they risk ending up in the hands of criminals," said Sala.
    "I think the first step is to ensure a fairer distribution," he concluded.
    On June 30, 2023, there were 20,926 unaccompanied minors in Italy, according to labour ministry figures.
    The number was said to be substantially stable with respect to the end of the previous year (20,288) and 5,331 more than at June 30, 2022, due largely to the significant arrival in Italy of unaccompanied minors from Ukraine. (ANSA).